See the Films and Vote for your favorite!
| Challenge Overview | About the Challenge | Frequently Asked Questions | Official Rules | Release Forms |
Here are answers to your frequently asked questions about our 14-Day Film Challenge …
Do I need to register in advance?
We are limiting entries to the Challenge to just THIRTY Teams. To ensure you get a spot, you should pre-register your team in advance.
How much is it to join this challenge?
Registration is $25 per team to register to take part in the Challenge.
Payment is via secured Paypal.
What makes up a team?
A team can have as many people as you’d like – there are no set numbers on a team. Most teams have between 4 and 10 members, including actors, writers, editors and directors.
What if I don’t have any assigned actors? How can I find actors?
There are many actor communities on Facebook, plus Craigslist, Meetup Groups and sites like Mandy.com. We recommend you ask actors you’re interested in to send their resume, headshot and reel and take it from there.
I’d really like to join a team. How do I find one?
Consider joining a local Facebook Group or Meetup Group such as NYC Filmmakers Actors Collective to find teammates. In addition, Winter Film Awards will create a discussion thread on our website for people seeking a team to talk to each other and form teams. WFA will not be able to assign you to teams.
Can SAG actors participate?
SAG actors may participate, but the responsibility will be on the members of the team to contact SAG directly and submit any necessary forms. The Winter Film Awards organization is not involved in this process.
How do I prepare for the Challenge?
The only work to begin prior to the Official 14-Day Time Period is: organizing your crew, interviewing and organizing your cast, securing whatever equipment you need and scouting/securing potential locations
I don’t live in the NYC area. Can I still take part in the Challenge remotely?
Yes! The Challenge is open globally.
Who can be the team captain?
Each team must select a team captain, to represent your team. Anyone from the team can be designated to be team captain. Team captain will be responsible for ensuring the team behaves responsibly and safely while involved in this Challenge, all releases are filled in as needed and that the resulting film meets all Challenge rules.
Who is responsible for equipment used?
Each team will be fully responsible for any equipment used for the making of their film. All precautions should be taken by each team to secure equipment used for shooting the film. Winter Film Awards will not be held liable.
What can I do with my film after the Challenge?
Now that you have a complete short film, you can share it with the world. You are free to submit it to any film festivals you like. It is not mandatory but it would be nice to keep us posted on any acceptances of your film so we can promote it on our website.
Can I post my film on YouTube, Vimeo or other Film sites?
After the official public screening, you are welcome to post your film anywhere you would like. However, during the voting period from June 1-15, your film will be posted on the Winter Film Awards YouTube channel and you may not post it on other sites.
What does my story have to be about?
At the beginning of the challenge, each team will be given a a prop that must be used in your film, a one-sentence tagline that must be said (or sung) verbatim and a genre that you will need to stay within. Other than that, you may create any story you like.
Can I include sex, drugs and violence in my film?
Please keep your entries to the standards applied to a PG-13 rating.
What are the possible Genres?
You will be assigned one of the following genres. If your genre has multiple options, you may choose one or combine them if you are feeling particularly creative (such as Zombie Musical or Romantic Comedy)
- Buddy Film or Chick Flick
- Cop or Spy
- Horror or Slasher or Monster
- Martial Arts or Super Hero
- Romance or Comedy
- Thriller / Suspense or Film Noir
- Western
- Science Fiction
- Zombie or Musical
When do I get the Prop, Tagline and Genre?
Each team will be given a Prop, Tagline and Genre during the Kick-Off Launch held via Zoom on May 18 2021 at 8:00-10:00PM EST. You will receive an email invitation for the call. During the call, we will announce the PROP and TAGLINE to be used in each film, and assign each Team to their GENRE. We will also answer any questions. It is not mandatory that you join the call – we will send an email notification that evening confirming the information and including links to the mandatory WFA Title screen and our Dropbox for film submissions.
Can we switch our Prop, Tagline and Genre?
You may not switch your Prop, Tagline and Genre once assigned.
Do I have to use the Prop, Tagline and Genre?
To qualify as an “Official 14-Day Film Challenge Entry,” each group’s film must be in the genre it is assigned and must contain all required elements within the official time limit and prior to the credits.
- The required Prop must be seen on-screen.
- The required Line of Dialogue must be used verbatim. It may be spoken, sung and/or written. It may be in any language, though if it is unclear that it is the required Line, there must be a translation.
Are we allowed to have footage under our closing credits?
Yes, however, the narrative must end before the closing credits begin. So outtakes, Ferris-Bueller-like antics, or bonus scenes are allowed. But it still should be 7 minutes or under.
What elements must the film include?
Before the finished film begins, the film must have:
- 5 seconds of black
- A title card with: team name, title, genre
- A title card with the WFA and sponsor logos which will be provided to you when the Challenge begins
- 2 seconds of black
- Your film
How about Credits?
- Credits at the end of each film are limited to a maximum of 30 seconds. The 30 seconds is considered part of the length of the film. (That is, a film may be 7 minutes long, including up to 30 seconds of credits)
- Opening credits are considered to be part of the film, and also count against the seven minute maximum.
- The end credits must include the words: “Created for The Winter Film Awards 14-Day Film Challenge 2021 – www.WinterFilmAwards.com“
Who can Participate in this contest?
Anyone can participate in this contest. You can be an aspiring filmmaker or it can be the first time you pick up a camera. Same with people on your team, including actors. Although we recommend you look for people who take filmmaking seriously, you’ll find they have more passion and you will need that for the hard work that needs to be put in for that weekend. So put your best efforts forward in building a good solid team and get to making a good film.
Do I need fancy film equipment to shoot my film?
Your film can be shot on whatever equipment you’d like, including a smartphone.
How will the winner be determined?
A diverse panel of experienced industry professionals will judge the films.
How many winners for this challenge?
There will be one BEST PICTURE winner which will result in a prize. FAN FAVORITE award and prizes will be awarded to the film that received the most online Votes via the Winter Film Awards website. In addition, the WFA team will select the team they think most deserving of an Honorary Award using whatever criteria we want.
What is the FAN FAVORITE Award?
A Fan Favorite award is an opportunity for the audience to decide which film they like best. It is completely independent of the WFA industry panel. All submitted films will be posted to the Winter Film Awards Challenge page and will be open for VOTES from June 3 2021 at 9:00AM EST through to June 15 2021 at 12:00PM EST.
Can I use any footage from an old film that I did before for this challenge?
You may not use footage shot prior to the start of the Challenge. Anyone found not following these rules may be eliminated. Still photographs are permitted, provided that the team has the rights to them. The photos do not need to be created during the 14 day time period; however, stills created outside of the official 14 day time period may not be used in sequence to create the illusion of motion.
Is animation allowed?
Yes, if it is created within the time frame of the challenge.
How will others see my film?
After we receive your film, we will than upload it to our Website. A link will be sent to you, so that you can share it with your friends and ask for Votes. We will also link to the channel on our Facebook Page. After the public screening, you may repost your film anywhere you’d like.
Who owns my film? Who can show it?
Entrants retain full ownership and copyrights to their Submission. However, by entering the Contest, entrants grant WFA and our Challenge Sponsor a non-exclusive, fully paid and royalty-free, worldwide, limited license to use, modify, delete from, add to, publicly perform, publicly display, reproduce and translate such Submission, in any media formats through any media channels.
How long does the film have to be?
The film has to be a minimum of 2 minutes and a maximum of 7 mins including up to 30 seconds for credits. So any outtakes or bonus scenes are allowed during credits, but when the combined, the entire film must not exceed 7 mins.
What file formats should my film be?
Completed films should be in one of the following formats: MP4, MOV, AVI, WMA, MKV
Do I need a Location Release to shoot on public property?
No, but you may need a permit. We do not require you to prove to us that you received a permit, but you may be stopped from shooting or even fined if you do not have one. Please check with your local film commissioner. The contest recommends that you use locations you have access to and have permission to do so. It is always recommended to get all permission in writing just to be on the safe side.
What about Music?
Participating groups are encouraged to work with a local composer and/or musicians to write and record music for the films. It is permissible for a participating group to use pre-recorded music; however the participating group must have the rights to any music used in its film and must provide releases for all music used. As with music, pre-recorded sound effects are allowed, but you must have rights to use them.
Note: Song parodies (i.e., use of identifiable pre-existing compositions with new or altered lyrics or music) may not be included in the film without a signed release from the composition’s rights holder. This rule applies without regard to whether the song parody arguably constitutes “fair use” under US or international copyright law.
Do I need releases from the talent, crew, music, art or location?
Each team must secure releases for talent, crew, art, music and locations (and any other applicable releases). All releases are to be filled in online. Upon submit, a copy of the form will be emailed to the team leader and WFA. There is no need to print these out.
Release Forms
How do I submit my film on June 1?
You must submit your film to WFA by 11:59PM EST via WeTransfer to info@nullWinterFilmAwards.com or via our Dropbox (URL to be provided after Kick-Off Call).
You must also fill in the Team Checklist to confirm your submission and provide information we’ll need for our website and judging.
Your Cast/Crew Release forms for anyone involved in your film and any needed Location/Artwork/Music release forms must also be submitted by deadline.
When will the winner be determined?
The winner will be chosen by the industry panel of judges. Each judge will score each film on a scale of 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest) against several categories, including Use of Prop, Use of Tagline, Creativity, Adherence to Rules, Acting and Originality. The highest total score wins. The BEST PICTURE and FAN FAVORITE and other winners will be announced via email and online on June 15th. The announcement will be presented on our Facebook page, on our website at WinterFilmAwards.com, Press Releases and an email announcement will be sent to all participants and audience members.
